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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24760438">would you smooch a chameleon?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothnamedneon/pseuds/gothnamedneon'>gothnamedneon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fade to Black, Other, brief mentions of alcohol, nobody gets drunk tho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:28:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,002</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24760438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothnamedneon/pseuds/gothnamedneon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before they're sent to Elberon, Double Trouble aims to get in the boss's good graces.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hordak/Double Trouble (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>would you smooch a chameleon?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i've been trying to write something for this ship since season 4 and i finally did it, hell yeah, nblm rights</p><p>also if it wasn't obvious from the description, this takes place between double trouble being introduced to hordak and when they y'know. go to elberon.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Double Trouble arrives, Hordak ends up working far into the night, his mind refusing to quiet. Thoughts of Entrapta spin through his head, distracting him from his work, until finally, alone in his lab, he hunches over the table and cries.</p><p>"Aw," a voice from behind him says, "why the tears, big guy?"</p><p>Hordak whirls around to see the shapeshifter standing there, his tears replaced by anger at the disturbance. "How did you get in here!?"</p><p>They smile and pick their way through the scattered machinery strewn across the floor, a bottle of some dark liquid in their hand. "You don't lock your door. Where I come from, that's an invitation for... All <em>sorts</em> of fun... Mm, but what I had in mind was a toast, to my joining your little operation."</p><p>"You're a mercenary," Hordak spits as they place the bottle on the table. "You are not a <em>true</em> part of the Horde."</p><p>"<em>Ouch</em>," they scoff. “Maybe I'll just take my booze and go, then!"</p><p>"... Your what."</p><p>"Booze. <em>Alcohol</em>. What, is the big, bad warlord <em>straight edge</em>?"</p><p>Hordak chooses to ignore that. "I'm... Not sure how my body would react."</p><p>"Oh, right," Double Trouble says, hopping up to perch on the edge of the table. "Catra said something about that. How you're, ah... <em>Not from around here</em>. Oh well! More for me!"</p><p>They pull the cork out of the bottle and take a swig, wrinkling their nose as they set it back on the table. And then, leaning back on their hands, they turn their gaze back to Hordak.</p><p>"Do you wanna talk about whatever it is you're crying about?"</p><p>Hordak stiffens and growls. "Get out."</p><p>"No, I mean it," Double Trouble says. "I've never been hired as a <em>spy</em> before, outside of legitimate acting work, people usually just pay me to tell them what they want to hear. Listen to their side of an argument and be a convincingly sympathetic voice, or... Be someone else and tell them no, you were right, it's my fault, et cetera, et cetera. So... Go on. Talk about it. I promise I'll be on your side. You won't even have to pay me."</p><p>"I..." Hordak is about to tell them to get out again, but when tears begin to prick at his eyes again he decides, perhaps talking might help. "I was... Betrayed recently. By someone I had found myself caring far... Far too deeply for. I have reason to believe she now assists the enemy."</p><p>Double Trouble's hand rests on his shoulder, squeezing gently - or trying, at least, given the metal. "I'm so sorry... That sounds like a horrible thing to go through. I can't even imagine how much you must be hurting right now."</p><p>"All my life, I have experienced rejection for my imperfections," Hordak chokes out as his tears begin to fall again. "I thought... She was different... She <em>told</em> me she was different..."</p><p>"Sometimes, the cruelest lies are people saying they care," Double Trouble murmurs. They pull themself along the table, closer to Hordak, and let him rest his head on their shoulder as he cries.</p><p>They stay like that, no sound in the room but the hum of machinery and Hordak's sobs for several moments. Eventually, though, Hordak calms, his breathing evening out as he stands again.</p><p>"Thank you," he mutters. "You... Were right. Talking... Helped."</p><p>"Of course I was right," Double Trouble says. "And, you know, if you want to just think about something else for a little while... I could help with that, too."</p><p>Hordak looks down at their hand, settled on his bicep, thumb stroking the metal gently. "And what would the fee for <em>that</em> be?"</p><p>"Are you joking? Have you <em>seen</em> yourself? Fuck, I'd pay <em>you</em>!" Double Trouble laughs and winks. "Appreciate the gravity of that sentence, darling."</p><p>"Don't lie. You don't have to try to make me feel better," Hordak growls. A blush creeps up his cheeks when the shapeshifter's tail curls around to slide up his outer thigh, their legs parting ever so slightly more than may be prudent.</p><p>"I'm not lying," they murmur. "It's, frankly, unfair how many of my boxes you tick. If you really don't want to, I'll respect that, but don't insult me <em>or</em> yourself by thinking this is an offer for a pity fuck."</p><p>"I..."</p><p>Double Trouble sighs, then smiles. "You don't know what you want. I get it. Well, if you change your mind, you know where I'll be."</p><p>They hop off the table and begin to make their way out of the room again, and Hordak can’t help but watch as they step delicately over the bits of machinery littering the floor, their tail swaying gently side to side.</p><p>"... Wait," Hordak calls after them. They stop and twist at the waist to look back at him, an oh-so-innocent expression on their face.</p><p>"<em>Yes</em>?"</p><p>"You were right that talking helped," Hordak says. "Perhaps... You're right about... A distraction, as well."<br/><br/></p><hr/><p><br/>Catra barges into the lab the next morning, yelling on her way, 'delegating' to Scorpia.</p><p>"-ney and ran! I <em>knew</em> I shouldn't have trusted them! Get every troop between here and the Crimson Waste to keep an eye out for <em>anyone</em> suspicious!"</p><p>The door slams open and she storms in.</p><p>"Hordak! I've got... Bad... News about... Double Trouble?"</p><p>They grin and wave at her with a, "Hi, kitten," from their perch on the desk by the monitors, not even bothering to attempt to hide the marks on their neck.</p><p>"I'll... Call off the... Well, I guess it's not a <em>man</em>hunt," Scorpia says. "Personhunt? Whatever it is, I'll uh... Stop it."</p><p>She scurries off to do just that, and Catra just stands there, staring.</p><p>"You'll catch flies with your mouth open like that, you know," Double Trouble says.</p><p>Catra finally finds it in herself to speak. "Did you fuck my boss?"</p><p>"Oh, no!"</p><p>"Oh, thank-"</p><p>"Your boss fucked <em>me</em>."</p><p>The noise Catra lets out is startlingly reminiscent of someone who's just been punched in the stomach.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>my friend called this ship "ganghira but in space" and i hate how right they are. also. why do i keep being the person to ship stuff that ends up not even having a tag. do i enjoy suffering? is that it?</p><p>regarding Other Hordak Ships (and a certain one in particular): i am firmly of the opinion that He Has Two Hands</p><p>find me on tumblr at nightcoreapologist</p></blockquote></div></div>
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